G8MNY > TECH 19.06.25 09:00z 87 Lines 4288 Bytes #187 (0) @ WW
BID : 35067_GB7CIP
Read: GUEST
Subj: Systron Donner 1702 Sig Gen
Path: ED1ZAC<ED1ZAC<GB7CIP
Sent: 250619/0853Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:35067 [Caterham Surrey GBR]
From: G8MNY@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To : TECH@WW
By G8MNY (Updated Nov 17)
(8 Bit ASCII graphics use code page 437 or 850, Terminal Font)
In 1998 I bought this large digital signal generator & not regretted it. It is
a deep 19" 3U rack unit with side handles, and weighs in at 25kg!
Mod Frequency Lever Wheels AM LED 0-120dB
____________________________________________________________________
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³ ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ | o ___ (_)³ ³Tune
³ ³ ³ 18.10 ³ ³9 Ý9 Ý9.Ý9 Ý9 Ý9 Ý9 ݳ | / \ /~~\ ³ ³
³ ³ ³________³ ³ Ý Ý Ý Ý Ý Ý Ý³ | ³ /~\ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³Atten
³ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ | ³ \_/ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³1-10dB
³ ³~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~³ \___/ \../ ³ ³& Zo
³ ³ (_) (_) __ __ __ __ ³ ³ ³
³ ³o [Û ] [__] [__][__][__] ³ o (o) o o ³ ³Trip
³ ³' (ú) Äo (ú) ³ ' ³ ³LED
³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³
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AF osc mod ext Power FM CW AM On/Off N o/p Reset
It was made in the USA by Thorn EMI that owned the SYSTRON DONNER Co. in 1983
at around $10,000!
It uses several PLL oscillators & mixers, all locked to an internal temperature
compensated or external reference. It has a calibrated 4 digit display of peak
AM & FM modulation from the built in locked 400Hz & 1kHz sine wave sources as
well as external modulation.
FAULTS
It was not all working (e.g. no 144MHz), & later a main smoothing cap O/C. But
I have managed to repair all the faults, without a diagram! Which was very time
consuming, working out how it all worked, (internal silvered brass sectioned RF
unit and 16 gold plated PCBs).
The lever gear operated frequency wheels have very strong home clicker spings.
So strong that their internal arc and pinion gears are at risk of stripping. I
had to take one apart to repair the gear (heat treatment of the plastic teeth).
So I weakened all 7 wheels home spings, so they would last longer. But the
partly striped gear arc did not last & I eventually replaced it with a glued on
toothed wheel (from VHS deck) to make it a conventional thumb wheel.
I have done several mods to it now, eg. FM deviation increased to ñ100kHz,
improved modulation bandwidth > 30kHz, off reference fine tune, & external 625
line TV timebase ref lock (obsolete now with digital TV!)
MY SPECIFICATION
AC Mains input 240V 40-100Hz @ 50W on rear IEC connector
Mains voltage links on plug inside.. 250, 220, 125, 110V
RF Output N socket 50ohm. 0.1uV to 1V RMS Max.
Attenuator 120dB 20dB/step & 10dB 1dB/Step attenuator (& 50ohm Term)
Frequency Range 100Hz to 999.9999MHz in 100Hz steps,
using 7 large lever operated wheels.
Accuracy 1/10^7 internal temperature compensated Xtal reference,
Off Calibration Fine Tuning ñ70 PPM (added by me),
Frequency accuracy compromised on FM mode with ñ5Hz jitter!
Rear 1 MHz BNC O/P Reference TTL level
Rear 1 MHz BNC External input Reference TTL level/TV
Harmonics & spuri > -30dBc, typical -55dBc. 400MHz up/down mix system.
Accidental Tx RF trip relay @ >500mW in, but the 10dB atten is unprotected!
PLL lock indicator & Level correct indicator (AGC OK eg. not in AM)
Modulation FM Indicated 0-19.99 or 100.0kHz, AM 0.0-100.0% (clips @ 95%)
Internal Locked 400Hz & 1kHz (FM offset @1kHz!) BNC O/P
External BNC I/P into 5K 10Hz-30kHz
USES
As well a very low carrier freq for FM & AM scope demos on Ham training courses
I use it for setting up RF Rx. And with an external "off air ref", it can
generate any frequency to very high accuracy.
See my tech Buls on "Syston Donner 115 Pulse Gen", "198kHz Off Air Standard",
"Comparing Off Air Freq Standards", "Off Air Lock for Ref Osc"."Scope RF Trick"
"Marconi 2019A Sig Gen" & "FeelTeck Dual DDS Osc FY6600-60M".
Why don't U send an interesting bul?
73 de John, G8MNY @ GB7CIP
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